Why and How to Form a Corporation

So now that I’ve introduced myself and talked about the enormous opportunities involved in doing contracting work for Uncle Sam, I’m going to talk a little about why and how to form a corporation for doing government contracting. A more comprehensive guide to incorporating and registering your new business with the federal government can be found at: www.GCExperts.com/

If you’re interested in doing construction for the federal government, you must form a legal entity. Even if you’re a one-man-or-woman-show, I’d recommend starting a corporation due to the liability protection. If you already have a company, I’d advise you for tax reasons not to mix government and non-government revenues within the same corporation, so you might want to start another corporation just for your federal work.

Briefly, the steps you need to take to set up your own corporation are:

1. Pick your company name, check availability, and reserve it
2. Decide on your corporate structure and officers
3. Set up your corporation with the Secretary of State
4. Order your corporate paperwork and seal
5. Get your federal ID number
6. Get your Dun & Bradstreet number
7. Get your resale certificate
8. File with any necessary state taxing agencies
9. Open a corporate checking and/or MM account

So that’s a brief outline of what steps you need to take to get your own corporation started so that you can bid lucrative government contracts.

Next time, I’ll cover the final part of the registration process: now that you have your corporation, how to register with the government as a qualified contractor.